Lance Stephenson will become a free agent this NBA offseason. The Indiana Pacers have declined Stephenson's team option which was worth $4.3 million, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.
The Indiana Pacers are declining Lance Stephenson’s $4.3M team option and he’ll be a free agent, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 25, 2018
Stephenson was known for his unorthodox playing style with his ability to get under the skin of his opponents as well as make fans in the entire arena applaud his energetic plays and hustle. In turn, the Pacers organization has a plan in mind with the team reportedly pursuing guards Tyreke Evans and Will Barton, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN.
ESPN Sources: With Indiana declining team option on Lance Stephenson, Tyreke Evans and Will Barton are expected to be two of its free-agent targets.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 25, 2018
However, Evans and Barton both bring different assets to the table, as these free agent targets have certain skills that may benefit the Pacers in the future. Victor Oladipo may be able to play alongside a player with exceptional ability to get the basket in Evans or a player with a nice perimeter shot in Barton. The acquisition of either of these players may serve to be beneficial in the Pacers' goal to reach the playoffs once again and perhaps go farther than this year.
However, not everyone believed this action by the Pacers to be just. In fact, Paul George reacted to the decision made by the organization by expressing his thoughts in an Instagram post. George's comments reflected on his decision to leave the Pacers and why it is key for players to act based on their own beliefs, especially in the NBA.
"In this business you do what's right for YOU” — @Yg_Trece pic.twitter.com/OYCPUmOz6Q
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 25, 2018
Whatever the case may be, Indiana has lost strong defense at the one and two positions as well as energy and aggressiveness that can only be attributed to Stephenson. Only time will tell whether the Pacers have made the right decision for the future of the organization.